For my first 45 years, I lived in Costa Capareca, just outside of Lisbon, Portugal.
I loved living there, I knew everybody; my neighbours, my friends.
One of my favourite things about living there was the beach. You could see it from my window. In the summer, I would go down and spend an hour or so walking along then head back home.
I was sad to leave. But I needed work and knew there weren’t that many opportunities there. This is why I moved. I also brought my children with me so they could learn English! They can speak it very well. Although I also have two older children living back in Portugal. I get to visit them a lot which is nice because I get to see my home. Although it has changed quite a lot, there are now more people than before. Because of the beach, there are now lots of tourists.
The thing I miss the most is the food. The fish was amazing! I could eat nothing but grilled fish and be very happy. The food in England is better than I expected (I love beans!) but nothing beats the food from home. Especially the cakes. Portuguese cake is incredible!
If we ever meet, ask me for my Portuguese chocolate cake recipe!